Google Cultural Institute Digitally Linking India’s Heritage to the World

In keeping with its unique innovative spirit, powered by Google, the Google Cultural Institute has unveiled new online content in an ongoing effort to digitize and share the best of India’s heritage with the world.

This includes material from 10 new partner institutions across the country: the Salar Jung Museum, Victoria Memorial Hall Kolkata, Dastkari Haat Samiti, Devi Art Foundation, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, Kalakriti Archives, Heritage Transport Museum, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres & Ashrams, and the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute.

Together with new exhibitions from long-standing partners such as the National Museum, over 2,000 new images and 70 virtual exhibits have been added to Google’s platform. The collection showcases a wide range of treasures that embody the country’s unique heritage, from ancient architecture to modern day contemporary art. The collection also includes 26 new virtual tours of famous sites such as the Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple and the royal saloon that once was part of the Palace on Wheels, which were captured using Google’s Street View technology.

In an effort to make the content even more accessible, Dastkaari Haat Samiti, Devi Art Foundation, Heritage Transport Museum and Kalakriti Archives are launching mobile apps built by the Cultural Institute to showcase their exhibits. In addition, Dastkaari Haat Samiti, Kalakriti Archives, Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute and Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams will use the Cultural Institute’s embedding technologies to deliver these virtual exhibits on their own websites.

"India has a rich heritage and culture, and it has been our endeavor to showcase this to the world. Technology will play a crucial role in transforming and building a truly Digital India, as per the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister, and getting Indian culture and heritage online will play an important role in making the vision a reality. We appreciate the contribution of the Google Cultural Institute in this regard, and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership," said Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State of Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation.

"Google is committed to preserving and breathing new life into cultural treasures around the world. India is brimming with a wealth of art, heritage and history. It has been our privilege to help iconic Indian institutions bring their rich collections online using the power of technology. When technology, art and heritage come together, the results are truly fascinating,” said Rajan Anandan, Vice President and Managing Director, Google South East Asia and India.

“The mission of the Cultural Institute is to make the world’s heritage accessible for global audiences and to preserve it digitally for generations to come. By bringing India's rich heritage online, we hope to introduce people across the globe to the fascinating world of Indian culture, history, and art. We have expanded the scope of our technology so that anybody with a mobile phone can now explore Indian culture through unique partner apps. Partners can also embed content on their website, helping making Indian culture easily accessible to all. And for this, I am very grateful to our partners,” said Amit Sood, Director of the Google Cultural Institute.

Google Cultural Institute was launched in 2012 in India with the National Museum and the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi as initial partners. Today the Cultural Institute works with 18 institutions to showcase the best of Indian art and culture.